Insider v Outsider

If I were to follow Shannon's personal definition of himself, then I would be nearly the same as him on all counts but gender. Growing up, many of the stories that I read were considered fairly mainstream literature and it was not hard to picture myself as any of the white female characters. They often had stories similar to mine, or at least close enough for me to imagine. Does this make me an insider? I'm not sure. I don't know how one goes about getting on the "inside". Maybe this is just because I have always benefited from being able to easily relate to literature that I am reading. Maybe I take it for granted. Does the skin color or gender or religion of the character matter more, or are the issues more important? Are the two so inextricably interwoven that they cannot be separated? I have difficulty believing that anyone can neatly fit into either group. Sometimes people can be in and then they can be out because everyone is made up of their own history and their own problems and views. I think what is important is evaluating your own stance on every text, whether it makes you feel like an insider or an outsider, and then to ask yourself why this is so. Good literature should help you look inside yourself. This can still be accomplished whether you feel like the character in the book mirrors your own life or not.